After a grueling regular season, it’s time to crown a champion.
The 2024-25 NBA regular season concluded on Sunday after nearly six months of non-stop action.
The upcoming playoffs will feature all of the best teams from across the league, including the defending champion Boston Celtics and 68-win Oklahoma City Thunder.
How do the seeds stack up in each conference? Who will compete in the Play-In Tournament? And what is the bracket looking like? Here’s everything to know entering the postseason:
When do the NBA playoffs start?
The 2025 NBA playoffs tip off on Saturday, April 19, with Game 1 of four first-round series being held.
The remaining four series will play Game 1 on Sunday, April 20.
What are the NBA playoff matchups and seeds?
The top six seeds in each conference are locked into the playoffs, which means matchups for four of the eight first-round series are set. The bottom two seeds in each conference will be determined in the Play-In Tournament.
Here are the seeds and matchups for both conferences:
EAST
- No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 7 Orlando Magic/No. 8 Atlanta Hawks/No. 9 Chicago Bulls/No. 10 Miami Heat
- No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Orlando Magic/No. 8 Atlanta Hawks
- No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Detroit Pistons
- No. 4 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks
WEST
Who is in the NBA Play-In Tournament?
The Play-In Tournament will feature the seventh through 10th seeds in each conference.
The No. 7 seeds will face the No. 8 seeds, with the winners moving to the first-round against the No. 2 seeds. The losers will face the winner of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 games, with the winners of those games moving on to face the No. 1 seeds. Here’s the Play-In Tournament matchups:
EAST
- Game 1: No. 8 Atlanta Hawks at No. 7 Orlando Magic (Tuesday, April 15)
- Game 2: No. 10 Miami Heat at No. 9 Chicago Bulls (Wednesday, April 16)
- Game 3: Winner of Game 2 at Loser of Game 1 (Friday, April 18)
WEST
- Game 1: No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies at No. 7 Golden State Warriors (Tuesday, April 15)
- Game 2: No. 10 Dallas Mavericks at No. 9 Sacramento Kings (Wednesday, April 16)
- Game 3: Winner of Game 2 at Loser of Game 1 (Friday, April 18)
The NBA season includes a play-in tournament to decide the 7th and 8th seeds. Here’s how it works.
How to watch the NBA playoffs and NBA Finals
The NBA playoffs will air on ESPN, ABC, TNT and NBA TV. The exact partners for each series and game are still to be determined.
For the 23rd consecutive season dating back to 2003, the NBA Finals will be broadcasted on ABC.
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